Sometimes
by Zooie
Summary: A series of ficlets exploring the relationship between Kenpachi and Yachiru. Hopefully WAFFy, definitely fluffy and usually funny.
1. Cold

**Disclaimer: **Though I do own a bottle of Clorox, I do not own Bleach.

**Warnings: **None

**Cold**

Sometimes Yachiru liked to assert her independence.

"Ken-chan," she whined one night as he set up camp. "I don't wanna share a blanket!"

"Too bad. It's cold. Scrawny kid like you's likely to freeze your bits off sleeping alone," Kenpachi told her, shaking out their blanket and letting it fall on her head.

"I will not!" she denied, burrowing out from under it and pouting. "I'm plenty strong!"

"Strong don't mean nothing in the cold, kid," he said, banking the small fire. "Strong folks freeze just the same as weak ones. Of course," he added, "weak ones freeze faster."

"Why do weak people freeze faster, Ken-chan?" Yachiru asked, momentarily distracted.

"Because they're pansies and flowers die in the winter," he told her, trying to figure out the most likely place to sleep.

Yachiru looked interested. "What's a frozen person look like, Ken-chan?"

"Like they're dead, because they are. Now get over here so we can sleep," he ordered, lounging against a log and glaring half-heartedly.

She glared back and threw the blanket at him. "No!"

He sighed, well acquainted with her moods, and wrapped himself up. Sometimes it was best to just let Yachiru discover what a huge moron she could be on her own. Made the lesson stick better. He closed his eyes and settled in for a wait.

He listened as she ghosted around the campsite, making hardly any noise despite the dead leaves covering the ground. He listened as she mumbled to herself, her words caught by the wind and tossed carelessly aside. He listened as she ventured closer to the fire and prodded the cooling ambers with a stick, trying to stir them back to life.

He knew she was listening, too.

"Ken-chan," she whined after a bit, sounding lonely. "Are you asleep?"

"Yeah," he grunted, cracking one eye open.

"Oh," she said, frowning at him. "Are you going to be for long?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On how long you sit there like an idiot."

"The longer I sit here, the longer you'll sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

The silence dragged on and Kenpachi wondered just how bitter the night was going to get. Then a small form wiggled under the blanket, nestling beneath his chin, and he stopped caring.

"Are you still sleeping, Ken-chan?" she whispered, patting his cheek with a cold hand.

"No."

"Good," Yachiru yawned, and was asleep in the next breath.

Kenpachi sighed and pulled the blanket closer around her neck. He stared up at the clear winter sky and ignored the icy cold seeping up from the ground. He'd been through colder nights than this.

"Yo, Yachiru," he asked finally. "You sleeping?"

No reply, and he could barely feel her slight weight atop his chest.

"Thought so," he said, and watched the stars move across the night.

**-the end-**


	2. Down For the Count

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

**Warnings**: None.

**A/N**: Takes place not too long after the chapter 206 flashback.

**Down For the Count**

Sometimes Yachiru got upset.

"Ken-chan! Get up, Ken-chan!"

Her voice echoed around in the back of his mind, drifting lazily about without any sense of direction.

"I can't move you, Ken-chan. You're too heavy. You have to get up!"

Her words happened against some small part of him that was still aware. An inkling of concern trickled into his consciousness: Yachiru sounded distressed.

"You're all sticky and I can't make it better. You gotta get up, Ken-chan!"

He realized she was shaking him, slapping him, poking him, doing anything that might possibly bring him back to the world.

"I'm scared, Ken-chan!" she whispered and Kenpachi opened his eyes.

"Oi, Yachiru, yer crushing me, here," he grunted, squinting in the bright morning light.

"Waiii! You're awake, Ken-chan!" She was instantly all smiles and laughter, a hyper blur of energy that made him hurt just to see it.

"Calm down, brat. I'm dying here!"

"No, you're not," she contradicted, looking fierce. "You'll feel all better soon!"

"Won't neither," he argued, shifting painfully on the ground.

"Will too! You just gotta drink some water and eat some food and rest some and you'll be lots better."

Which was sensible and probably _would_ immensely improve the situation, but there was just one problem…

"Where's the food gonna come from, brat?" he snapped. "Is some animal just going to walk over, build a fire and roast itself?"

Yachiru made her determined face and Kenpachi knew fear. "I'm gonna do it! I cook good!"

He _definitely_ wasn't feeling up to this.

"Forget it, runt. I'll do it. Help me up, here," he ordered, hauling himself painfully into a sitting position.

She growled and tried to shove him back down. "You rest!" she ordered.

"Yeah, yeah," Kenpachi muttered, planting a hand on her head and using her to lever himself upright.

"Ken-chan!" she glared with disapproval, but stood steady beneath his weight.

"You wanna eat?" he asked menacingly, shaking her head a bit.

"Hai."

"Then I gotta get up. You ain't strong enough to kill nothing dead, yet."

She scrunched her face up. "I will be!" she resolved. "I'm gonna get strong so I can take care of Ken-chan!"

"Get strong so you can take care of yourself, moron," he told her, waiting for the world to stop spinning.

"Ken-chan takes care of me," she said, ducking free of his grip to lean against his leg. "If I take care of Ken-chan, he can take care of me better!"

Which was Yachiru-logic, which he wasn't up to dealing with right now.

"Che. Whatever, brat. Just get off me, huh?"

"Aaa! Ken-chan is mean!" she shrieked, pelting away into the forest and probably scaring away all the game within a ten mile radius.

Kenpachi sighed and plodded after her. So much for her concern.

"Waaiii! A chipmonk! Come see, Ken-chan!" Her voice rang through the trees and he dutifully shifted course in her direction, making slow, painful progress. He so wasn't up to this and he regretted ever waking up.

Yachiru was hard enough to deal with even without a hangover.

**-the end-**


	3. Making It Right

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

**Warnings**: None.

**Making It Right**

Sometimes Yachiru was annoying.

The kid wouldn't stop crying. It just kept going and going and had been for hours, its stamina impressive but nonetheless unappreciated. Kenpachi didn't know quite what to do, didn't know quite why he'd even bothered to pick it up and why he wasn't now putting it down. It just kept crying and part of him knew he could just let it be someone else's problem.

He stared at it, holding it out at arms length, one hand more than sufficient to support its puny body. Its face was as pink as the hair on its head and he wondered if he'd ever cried like this, if he'd ever so freely expressed his emotions. He wondered if he'd ever raged so fiercely against the world and its mistreatment of him. He wondered if he ever would.

He shifted his posture and his elbow brushed against his zanpakuto.

The kid kept crying and he didn't put it down.


	4. Frolic

**Disclaimer**: Bleach is not mine.

**Warnings**: None.

**Frolic**

Sometimes Yachiru was obnoxiously adorable.

"Waai! Ken-chan, watch me!" she cried, twirling around the field with daisies caught in her hair. "Ken-chan, watch!"

"I'm watchin'," he told her, though truthfully he was only giving her half his attention at best. Wasn't like the kid was doing something he hadn't seen a hundred times before and frankly he was bored with the situation. Sick of doing nothing, he gave his zanpakuto a few lazy swipes simply for entertainment's sake before sheathing it with an unsatisfied sigh. It was so tedious when Yachiru decided to frolic.

"Look, look, Ken-chan! I'm doing it just like you told me!" she called over, her voice equal parts laughter and excitement.

He turned in time to see her execute a mid-air flip and frowned. "Oy! Brat! Any slower with that and you'll get yourself gutted."

"I went plenty fast, Ken-chan," she denied, suddenly standing next to him and balancing neatly on one toe.

"Did not," he grunted. "I've seen slugs move faster, kid."

"Have not!" she protested fervently, eyes flashing with something just dangerous enough to be cute. "Besides, Ken-chan's lots slower than I am!"

Which was true: the kid was freakishly fast and would only improve with age. Didn't mean he had to admit it, though.

"Che," he spat, sinking down onto a convenient log, the very picture of indifference. "Wake me up when you're done wasting time."

"Hai!" she chirped happily and dashed off to another part of the field, rendered nearly invisible by the tall, wild grass through which she ran.

He chuckled a bit when yet another bandit screamed and fell to the ground, brought down by something unseen, but undeniably deadly. Then, without even bothering to get up, he swung his zanpakuto over his shoulder and gutted the two men attempting to sneak up on him.

The bandits were pretty pathetic, but Yachiru needed _something_ to practice on.

"Did you see me, Ken-chan? Did you see?" she laughed, darting through the flowers with the same fluidity as a shark in water. "Did you see?" She landed on his lap with a happy squeal.

"Yeah, I saw," he said, and even let her stick a daisy in his hair.

-end-

Thank you to all who reviewed. I appreciate it greatly.


	5. Learning

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

**Warnings**: None

**Learning**

Sometimes Yachiru taught him instead of the other way around.

When Kenpachi had first found her, she taught him things like how to change a baby's diaper, how to keep said baby still while changing its diaper, and that babies really didn't need diapers at all if you paid close enough attention and had fast reflexes. He'd learned that kids were just as happy naked as clothed and that they didn't care if you cleaned their faces with a ragged cloth and spit. He'd learned that it made no difference to them if you rambled aimlessly or if you didn't say anything for days, which suited him just fine because he wasn't one for much talking anyway.

Then she'd gotten older and they'd both learned the importance of words.

"Dat?" she'd asked, pointing to a flower with a stubby finger.

"Flower," he'd told her. "It's a flower."

"Dat?" she'd asked, pointing to a rock.

"Rock," he'd told her. "It's a rock."

"Dat?" she'd asked, pointing to herself.

"Kid," he'd told her, and realized that that meant nothing at all.

He called her Yachiru, the only name that had ever had meaning in his life.

Years passed and Kenpachi learned many things: how to brush tangles out of hair, that they're lying when they say little girls are sweet and gentle, and that snowmen are fun, because they explode like anything when used for target practice. He learned that carrying a cute kid on his shoulder made him look somewhat like a pansy and that he didn't really care, because it was their fault for being stupid and underestimating his abilities and picking a fight they couldn't possibly win. He learned that when Yachiru said she had to go, she meant _right then_ and that, no, she couldn't wait two more minutes while he offed one last bandit.

Years passed and Kenpachi kept learning. He learned that Yachiru had weaknesses he didn't have and strengths he could never match. He learned that she was his equal in all the ways that mattered and the exact opposite in countless ways that all added up to nothing. He learned that he noticed when she wasn't beside him and that he didn't notice when she was there. He learned that he would tend to her after a battle before seeing to his own zanpakuto, and that it mattered when the blood spattered across her kimono wasn't someone else's.

Most of all, he learned he never had to say any of that out loud. Yachiru had taught him many things, including how to say how you felt with only a word.

"Yachiru."

"Coming, Ken-chan!"

-**end**-


	6. New Tricks

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

**Warnings**: None.

**A/N**: Set shortly after Yachiru first summons her zanpakuto.

**New Tricks**

Sometimes Yachiru was disturbingly precocious.

Seeing as she had her zanpakuto and all, Kenpachi supposed it was his responsibility to teach her how to fight and not get herself killed in the process. He hadn't hauled her around for all those years just so she could get herself offed by some lame-ass weakling with a rusty meat cleaver. So whenever he had a moment –which was often- and had nothing better to do –which was even more often- he took it upon himself to teach her the fine art of Knocking Off Opponents Before Your Own Stupidity Gets You Killed.

"Hold it like this, kiddo," Kenpachi told her, adjusting her grip on her zanpakuto's hilt. "Grip it too tight and it'll get knocked right outta your hand and you'll get yourself gutted. They ain't gonna go easy on you just 'cause you're puny. Got it?"

"I'm not puny. Ken-chan's too big!" she cheerfully informed him, grinning like a ninny.

He gazed stoically at her. "Got it?" he repeated.

"Yep!"

"About time," he said, rising from his crouch to tower above her. "Now get serious. What wouldja do if some idiot tried to pin you against that rock over there?"

She considered for a moment before her face lit up with inspiration. "Duck under his legs and stab him in the back!"

He nodded in approval. "Show me."

"Hai!"

Yachiru backed up against the rock and Kenpachi loomed over her. "Go," he ordered.

In a flash she was gone, and he felt her sheathed zanpakuto prod him in the spine. He hadn't even seen her move.

"How was that, Ken-chan?"

"Probably wouldn't get you killed," he told her, "'cept while you were doing that, one of my buddies got his ass moving and chopped your head off. Whatcha gonna do to keep that from happening?"

She looked pensive. "Stupid stabby dead man has a buddy?"

"That's what I said."

"He got any more?"

"Maybe."

"Hmm…. Then instead of stabbing you in the back, I'll slice you from the side!"

"Took you long enough," he told her. That would allow her to spin with the motion and meet the second bandit face-to-face, able to block any attacks. "Now do it."

"Okay!" She ducked back in front of him and allowed him to pin her to the rock.

"Go," he said, and felt her scabbard sweep across his back in the next breath. He turned around and found her facing away from him in a defensive stance.

"Not too bad, but looks like there's another of our friends hangin' around. He just popped outta those bushes over there. What now?"

"Hmmm. Is the second guy dead yet?" Yachiru asked.

"Yeah," he decided.

"Okay," Yachiru said. "Then I do this to 'im."

Suddenly her zanpakuto was thirty feet away and imbedded in a tree trunk, the blade reverberating from the violence of the throw.

Kenpachi blinked at it for a few seconds. That was… unexpected. And kind of cool.

"Where'd you learn that?" he asked eventually, walking over to the tree and eyeing the sword. Its tip was buried at least four inches in.

"Nowhere," she smiled, looking pleased with herself

"Only morons throw their weapons away," he said.

Yachiru stuck her tongue out.

"Whatcha gonna do if there's more than three of 'em?" He grabbed the hilt and started working the zanpakuto free.

"Ken-chan will take care of them," she said dismissively.

"Oh, yeah?" He eyed her, considering. "Whatcha gonna do if I don't?"

"Ken-chan will," she stated with absolutely certainty, "'cause Ken-chan's the best!"

"Che," Kenpachi swore, but he was pleased. As he pulled the zanpakuto out of the tree, he allowed himself to smirk a little. And later, when he discovered that the accuracy of Yachiru's throw wasn't a fluke, he even smiled.

Maybe she wouldn't get her moronic self killed after all.

**-the end-**


	7. Lost and Found

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

**Warnings**: None

**A/N**: For elderbrother, who requested something involving Yachiru playing with her food. Sorry about the last version of this chapter; being tired does weird things to your mind.

**Lost and Found v. 2.0**

Sometimes Yachiru got lost.

Although they always traveled through less than savory areas, Kenpachi was never concerned about safety. His own was a given and the brat knew how to take care of herself; he'd seen her knock off enough bandits to be sure on that point. Yachiru's tsuba might have looked like a pansy, but that didn't mean the kid was one, too. Anyone who tried to mess with her would find he suddenly had a few new orifices aerating his body. So when the runt took off running after one crap-ass thing or another, he didn't try too hard to stop her. He figured she'd find her own way back when she got bored or hungry, whichever came first. If she happened to acquire a few scratches on the way, he'd wrap them up, swat at her head, and make her eat extra meat at their next meal. No big deal.

She never did it on purpose, anyway. The moron usually just got excited enough to forget her own speed. She'd shriek out a "follow me, Ken-chan" and barrel off into the yonder without sparing a thought for anything else. He'd actually followed her the first few times, thinking she'd spotted something _good_ like a bandit battalion that needed offing, but experience had taught him that was never the case. What the hell was so fascinating about butterflies and rabbits and goddamn squirrels he would never know. After the third time he'd pummeled after Yachiru, catching up to her _hours_ later only to find her squeezing the bajeezus out of some puny, fur-ridden creature, he'd resolved to never follow her again. Not too far, anyway. Just enough to see that she really hadn't spotted any bandits.

He could always hope.

Generally Kenpachi would just hunker down and nap until Yachiru came wandering back, stealing a few moments of remarkable solitude. If he was feeling especially bored, he'd go bandit stalking himself to while away the time, never mind that the brat would complain when she found out. Besides, it was a productive way to pass the time.

Yachiru didn't take very long to come back, usually staying away only an hour or two before darting back into his presence. Sometimes she'd be dragging a twitching, half-dead animal along with her and would ask if she could keep it. He'd flat out refuse and she wouldn't put up much of a fight: twitching, half-dead animals didn't make for very exciting pets. Once in a while she'd be dragging a twitching, half-dead animal along with her and would ask if it would make a good dinner. He'd cook it if it would and let it go if it wouldn't; it was the only time Yachiru was allowed to play with her food. On one memorable occasion she'd returned riding atop a wolf, giggling and patting its head and calling it Puppy-chan. When she'd noticed Kenpachi, she'd leapt off the wolf's back and onto his, prattling excitedly about the ugly mutt and its supposed prowess.

"---and Puppy-chan has really sharp teeth and he makes this neat growling noise just like Ken-chan does when he's angry—"

Kenpachi had glared at the beast, taking in its sleek fur and gnarled muzzle, noting the sure set of its paws and how it didn't cringe from his stare. The wolf had stared steadily back, its hackles raised and its demeanor feral. It had begun growl and he'd felt the urge to do the same.

"—and Puppy-chan looks kinda like Ken-chan, too--"

"Scram," he'd told the beast and, with a parting snarl, it had.

"Waaaah! Ken-chan scared away Puppy-chan!" Yachiru had complained, jostling his head a bit with her discontented fidgeting.

"Dumb animal," he'd said with finality. "Don't need it hangin' around, gettin' in the way."

"Ken-chan's mean," she'd pouted, poking him with an insistent finger.

"Che," he'd spat and started walking.

He'd be damned if he'd tolerate some mangy animal shedding all over the place, mucking up his fights when its worthless ass undoubtedly got in the way. He didn't have time to look after superfluous, useless things. He found Yachiru was more than enough.

**-end-**


	8. Scrape

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

**Warnings**: Two cuss words. Woohoo.

**Scrape**

Sometimes Yachiru got scraped up.

Kenpachi wasn't too surprised. She was only a kid, after all, a midgety runt short on height and common sense. Childhood gave her license to do all manner of dumb-ass things, including but not limited to getting herself busted up, and so a certain amount of cuts and bruises were to be expected. That Yachiru's came from sword fights and not from falling out of trees was inconsequential. Scrapes were scrapes regardless of their source and he'd be damned if he was kissing anything better.

Yachiru's latest was a spectacular black eye, courtesy of an elbow to the face from a bandit who was now very deceased --Kenpachi had made sure of that and from the expression on the guy's face, he'd done a damn good job of it, too. Although the brat hadn't said two words of complaint, she'd also been unusually docile since the fight and he found himself getting more and more pissed off as the afternoon wore on. By the time they stumbled across a largish village in the early evening hours, his anger had had ample time to simmer and he was itching for a fight. He quickly located the small tavern and stalked towards it, villagers scuttling in his wake. Yachiru gave a sigh beside his ear, a tired, quiet puff of breath, and then he was through the door.

Twelve sets of eyes blinked owlishly at him. He stood still for a moment, allowing the bar's occupants a moment to give him the once over. Yachiru sensed the stares and poked her head over his shoulder. The eyes focused on him opened wider and a few jaws were clenched. Kenpachi gave a feral grin and began slowly making his way to the bar, waiting for what he knew would inevitably happen.

It didn't take long.

"Oi! You can't bring that kid in here!" One of the villagers, a large, self-confident man, spoke up. "It ain't decent." The others at his table muttered in agreement.

Kenpachi ignored them and continued across the room.

"Hey! I said that kid don't belong in here," the man insisted, leaving his seat and standing in Kenpachi's path.

"You tell 'im, Karl!" one of his friends encouraged. A few of the other bar-goers hollered their assent.

Kenpachi glared. "I'll do what I want. Now get outta my way."

"Are you deaf? I said take that kid home, you meat-head--"

Whatever else he had to say was lost to the ages, because Kenpachi's fist drove the air from his lungs and sent him to his knees. The bar was utterly silent for a full five seconds. Then all hell broke loose.

"Fucking asshole," someone growled and the remaining men shot out of their seats and into Kenpachi's face, mere parodies of threat.

"Get the bastard!" A clumsy punch was thrown at his gut and he lazily dodged, dropping the culprit with an aptly placed chop.

"Watch out for the kid!" someone shouted and Kenpachi made sure he hit him especially hard.

Yachiru yawned beside his ear.

Thirty seconds was all he needed to lay all eleven men on the floor. The room fell still once again, silent save for a few groans of pain. Kenpachi cracked his knuckles and crossed over to the bar, slouching down onto one of the stools. He smirked at the bartender, daring him to say something about the mess behind him. The man squeaked and cleared his throat.

"C-can I get you something?" he stuttered.

"Yeah," Kenpachi said, swinging Yachiru off his shoulder and settling her on the edge of the bar. "Warm milk."

And then he made sure Yachiru drank it all.

**-end-**


	9. Perception

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

**Warnings**: Allusions to killing, aka the usual.

**A/N**: In regard to Yachiru's age in these ficlets… They're all set before Kenpachi and Yachiru become shinigami. Since she seems to be about six or seven in the series, figure she's five or less when reading.

**Perception**

Sometimes Yachiru changed the way he looked at things.

"No! No, please! _Please don't kill me_!"

Kenpachi watched as the sole remaining bandit fled in a panic through the forest, his awkward flailing hindering his own progress through the dense underbrush. It was an ugly thing, that pathetic retreat, but Kenpachi wasn't surprised: beauty was a concept alien to his life.

"Whatcha wanna do, Ken-chan? D'ya think he's too weak to bother killin'?" Yachiru asked from beside him. She stood as tall as his knees now and he wondered if time always passed more quickly when measured against small things.

"Do what you want," he said and began wiping his zanpakuto clean.

"Hmmm." She tapped a finger on her chin and raised an eyebrow, considering. "He's pretty wussy, isn't he, Ken-chan?"

He grunted his assent.

"But he did kill a whole lot of people, so he couldn't be **too** weak." Yachiru danced the tip of her blade in tiny circles while she thought, flicking a few droplets of blood onto the new grass underfoot. "And he tried to hurt Ken-chan."

"Che. Like he could," he grumbled, and sheathed his zanpakuto.

"He still tried!" she declared fiercely and Kenpachi saw she had that look in her eye.

"Whatever you're gonna do, make it quick," he demanded and she wrinkled her nose at him.

"I'm always quick!" Yachiru reminded him and then she was gone, darting through the trees with more speed and agility than any person had a right to possess. He watched her audacious flight, careening at breakneck speeds through the trees, pink hair a banner of vitality, until she was lost in the abundant undergrowth of the forest.

He thought that maybe there was room for beauty in life after all.

**-end-**

**A/N:** I think I'm going to aim for ten ficlets, so one more to go. Whee.


	10. Needs

**Disclaimer**: Bleach is not mine. Shocking, huh?

**A/N:** Sorry this took so long. I have this problem with commitment, you see.

**Needs **

Sometimes Yachiru seemed more alive when she was asleep. Kenpachi wasn't sure what to make of it. The kid slept like an animal, curled up into a ball with her hands tucked close to her face, yet she was far from motionless. Her foot would kick and her nose wrinkle up; she glared and laughed and pouted in turn. She slept as though the waking world were a dream instead of the other way around, and seeing her Kenpachi could even believe that was the truth of things. Night after night he'd sit awake and polish his sword, watching as a slumbering Yachiru twisted and giggled, chasing after figments he doubted he'd ever been young enough to see. He'd examine his blade for dried blood by the moonlight filtering through the trees and listen as Yachiru flopped around in the dirt like a beached whale.

_No, more like a koi out of water_, Kenpachi would think, and then snort in amusement at himself. He'd slip his sword back into its sheath and pick Yachiru's blanket off the ground, shake out the dust and drape it over her once more. Then he'd lie back against a rock and close his eyes.

If Yachiru was a koi out of water, then what did that make him? Kenpachi didn't know and he didn't much care. He didn't need a metaphor to define himself. He was strong and he was determined. He had his will and his drive and his skills; those were all the things that were necessary to reach his goal. He'd lie in the dirt with his arms across his chest, the rock cold beneath his skull, and think there was nothing else he needed in life.

Then he'd hear Yachiru laugh across the darkness.

He supposed he needed a few more things after all.

**-end-**

A/N: Okay. That's the last one. It began with sleepy-good-nights and ends with them, too. Now that's what I'm going to go do!

There is an accompanying fanart for this over at deviantart. It is linked in my profile. 


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